Terrorists attacked oil tanker at Jeddah with ‘explosives-laden boat’, Saudi government says

An explosion and fire aboard a Singapore oil tanker at a Saudi port was the result of a “terrorist attack,” the Ministry of Energy said, condemning the recent spate of attacks on the Kingdom’s vital infrastructure.

In a statement carried by state media, the ministry confirmed that the BW Rhine vessel was attacked by terrorists shortly after midnight local time, adding that the Singapore-flagged vessel was anchored in the fuel terminal in Jeddah when it was targeted by an “explosives-laden boat.”

The ministry confirmed that there were no casualties, reiterating an earlier statement by the ship’s operators, Hafnia, and that there had been no damage to port facilities. 

The spokesman quoted in the statement slammed the recent spate of attacks on vital Saudi infrastructure.

“These acts of terrorism and vandalism, directed against vital installations, go beyond the Kingdom and its vital facilities, to the security and stability of energy supplies to the world and the global economy,” the statement reads.

The spokesman also urged world leaders to make a unified effort to tackle “subversive terrorist acts” and adopt practical measures to prevent further incidents.

Monday’s assault on an oil tanker discharging at the port of Jeddah comes after attacks on a Maltese vessel in Al-Shuqaiq and the petroleum products distribution station in north Jeddah in late November.

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